The magazine of the Melbourne PC User Group iPod — A Mac Innovation For Windows Major Keary |
iOriginally introduced as a music player for the Macintosh, iPod's capabilities have undergone considerable changes since its 2001 release. The original iPod was designed for encoding and organising music files; it is now in its, much slimmer, third generation. Mac and Windows compatible, the current iPod comes in models of 10, 20, or 30 gigabyte capacity; apart from music it can be used as an external hard drive, eBook reader, PalmPilot, or for games. A versatile device, the iPod has its own monitor (capable of displaying data) and controls.
Support for the Windows platform is expected to improve with the imminent
release of a Windows version of iTunes.
A Windows application, MusicMatch Jukebox, is on the Mac/Win CD that comes as
part of the current iPod package, but iTunes for Windows may well be the
preferred application.
The Mac/Win/Linux disk formatting differences are still with us. The iPod is, by
default, formatted for the Mac; when connected to a Windows machine the disk is
quietly reformatted to FAT32. Potential buyers should be aware that, once an
iPod has been configured by an operating system, it cannot be used on a
different system. In short, it is not a solution for transferring data between
Mac and
Windows.
To bring users up to date with current iPod models, iPod: The Missing Manual has
been added to the excellent Missing Manual series. It assumes no more than a
knowledge of (Mac/Win/Linux) operating system basics and how to use the mouse,
but is comprehensive and contains all the necessary technical detail for using
an iPod for any of its many applications.
An essential companion for the iPod, this remarkably comprehensive manual
reveals the iPod's versatility and shows how to put it to work.
If you are interested in finding out more about the iPod this title is the best
resource; a copy will be in the library.
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J. D. Biersdorfer: iPod: The Missing Manual ISBN 0-596-00477-X Published by Pogue Press/O'Reilly, 331 pp., RRP $55.00 incl. GST. |
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Reprinted from the December 2003 issue of PC Update, the magazine of Melbourne PC User Group, Australia
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